Founded On Principle

Opinion - Reader Views

July 4, 2001

As we once again celebrate the Fourth of July, we will see thousands of American flags flying proudly across the land.

Too often, amid the barbecues, picnics, fireworks and other celebrations, we ignore just what we are celebrating: that our country declared its independence from Britain and proceeded to be established on the constitutional bedrock of individual liberty, justice and equality of opportunity for all.

The date we celebrate could easily have been another.

We could celebrate the British signing the Articles of Peace on Nov. 30, 1782, finalizing our struggle. We could celebrate the signing of the Treaty of Paris on Sept. 3, 1783, formalizing our status as a free country.

The point is that the date is not what we celebrate. What we celebrate is our liberty!

As we look at those thousands of American flags flying across this great nation on the Fourth of July, we must remind ourselves that the flag, itself, is not what we cherish. It is merely a piece of cloth. That which we cherish is what the flag represents: a country founded on the principle of freedom.

That a handful of persons can choose to exercise their freedom by burning a flag in protest is a testament to those principles upon which this great nation was founded. Too many people seem to be willing to ignore that in their desire to pass a constitutional amendment forbidding the desecration of the flag.